DIA

Open competition for the new

Photography house in Oslo, Norway

Just as a photo can be enhanced by a beautiful setting, it is safe to say that the surroundings of the House of Photography could not be more beautiful. On an island surrounded by water, as part of the cultural cluster alongside the Opera, library and visual arts. But while the location provides an excellent setting for the House of Photography, the House of Photography helps to frame the site and its landscape. There is a duality and a reinforcing synergy between landscape and house.

The function of the frame is to reinforce and emphasise the subject. In the Photography House opportunity, the living public places and views, the subject and the houses and the landscape treatment will act as frames for this. The L-shape at Sukkerbiten and the I-shape at the beach create a good starting point for the physical framing of the two locations. In order for this framing to help reinforce the places, the houses are designed with maximum openness and programmed to help activate the two urban spaces. In order to achieve maximum transparency and at the same time ensure a good indoor climate, a façade of large solid wooden frames is created. The wooden frames are placed diagonally to open towards the view and the arrival.